Boy Scouts Survey

The Boy Scouts just sent out a survey to members on the organization's ban of gay members and leaders. Questions went far beyond a yes or no question on whether the ban should be continued.

This article in the New York Times does a good job of looking at the questionnaire, which asked questions such as:

"Should gay and straight scouts, for example, be allowed to share a tent on a camping trip? What role should faith play in scouting, if a church sponsoring a local scout troop has taken a position on the inclusion or exclusion of gays and lesbians in its congregation? Does the scout oath, with its language about staying “morally straight,” declare a value about sexual orientation or just a general, admirable code of conduct?"

It will be interesting to see if this leads to a long overdue change in policy.

For comparison, the Girl Scouts have a much more open policy for LGBT members and leaders. The Girl Scouts do not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Here is a good look at how the organizations differ.